title: Clonal immunoglobulin DNA in the plasma of patients with AIDS lymphoma.
abstract: Immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangements are used to define clonality of suspected B-lineage malignancy in tissue samples. To determine whether such rearrangements could be identified in plasma, we screened plasma from 14 consecutive patients with AIDS-related lymphoma with multiplex Ig primers. Clonally rearranged Ig DNA was detected in plasma from 7 of 14 patients. Patients in whom clonal Ig DNA remained detectable after combination chemotherapy died with lymphoma. Tumor was available from 1 patient, and the IgH amplification products from plasma and tumor were sequenced and confirmed to be identical. Ig DNA rearrangements in plasma may be useful as a lymphoma-specific tumor marker, and failure to clear clonal Ig DNA may identify patients at high risk for failure of standard therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA. nwagner@dom.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Nina D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Wagner-Johnston
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gellert
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Gocke
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Lemas
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Otoniel
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Martínez-Maza
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ambinder
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm